


The Certainty of Tides

by aeoleus



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst with a Happy Ending, F/M, Gen, Politics, Post-Canon, Post-War, Yue (Avatar) Lives, Yue-centric, a coming of age story but everythings 900x more difficult because u used to be spirit-touched, and old habits die hard dont they?, and ur dad is also the chief of ur paternalistic tribe
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-25
Updated: 2020-10-25
Packaged: 2021-03-09 03:55:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,558
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27197473
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aeoleus/pseuds/aeoleus
Summary: (The first thing Yue sees when she opens her eyes is the dark blue of Sokka’s parka. His shoulders are shaking, and Yue is deeply disoriented, but that doesn’t stop her from somehow unsticking her tongue from the roof of her mouth and mumbling,“Sokka?”The dark blue disappears, and in its place is Sokka’s face, bruised and bloody, eyes wide. Above his head, a full moon shines, bright and whole.“Yue,” he croaks out. “Oh, I thought- I thought I lost you.”)Or: In which Yue sacrifices her spirit to the moon, and then Yue wakes up. Turns out, life is so much vaster than the four walls of the Northern Water Tribe.
Relationships: Arnook & Yue (Avatar), Sokka/Yue (Avatar), Yue & Zuko (Avatar)
Comments: 73
Kudos: 260





	The Certainty of Tides

**Author's Note:**

> hello hello and welcome to my Yue Lives AU and also this week's reason why A Hundred Golden Suns isn't updated (I SWEAR IM WORKING ON IT) 
> 
> I want to give massive shoutouts to my beta @agentcalliope and to the-hot-zone (both on tumblr and ao3), for their crazy amounts of help in outlining and beta-ing this!
> 
> ALSO, I made a playlist for this!! It’s basically every song I listened to on repeat while writing, and I’m always taking suggestions!!
> 
> https://open.spotify.com/playlist/196rOmEld1Yqt3J2JodJFQ?si=i2oHtKbdQjG01-ndf4bEXw

The first thing Yue sees when she opens her eyes is the dark blue of Sokka’s parka. 

His shoulders are shaking, and Yue is _deeply_ disoriented, but that doesn’t stop her from somehow unsticking her tongue from the roof of her mouth and mumbling, 

“Sokka?” 

The dark blue disappears, and in its place is Sokka’s face, bruised and bloody, eyes wide. Above his head, a full moon shines, bright and whole. 

“Yue,” he croaks out. “Oh, I thought- I thought I lost you.” 

“Lost me?” Yue echoes, but her connection to reality, already unstable, is slipping from her grasp, so she’s not sure if Sokka really presses a kiss to her forehead as he calls for his sister, desperate and cracked, or if she made it up. 

* * *

She wakes up in a tub of water. 

Yugoda’s face swims above her, and her eyes look tired. 

“Princess Yue,” she says. “You have _no_ idea how good it is to see you awake.” 

Yue tries to open her mouth, but everything, everything, _everything_ hurts. Even the simple act of breathing seems to be a hundred-times harder than it ought, as if she’s stepped outside in the dead of winter, and the frigid air has shocked her lungs paralyzed. It’s an unfortunately familiar feeling. 

“Don’t try to talk, Princess, you’ve been out for many days.” 

“What-” Tui, her throat is _sore._ It feels like it did when she was five and sick every other week with chest infections. “What happened?” 

“From what the Avatar told your father, you saved us.” Yugoda bows her head. “You gave up the spirit inside you so that our men could continue to fight.” 

Her vision is blurring somewhere above her eyes, the world becoming hazy, and suddenly, there is a warm hand on her head, pushing wet hair out of her eyes. 

“Rest, Princess. You’ve done enough.” 

* * *

Her consciousness returns to her in fits and starts. 

Someone is singing to her, low and scratchy, and while the language is familiar, the words are not. 

Warm water laps over her forehead, and someone murmurs to her. 

Something soft is pulled over her shoulders, a hand on her forehead. 

When Yue opens her eyes this time, something seems different. Maybe it’s that she doesn’t fade right back out, or that when she turns her head, she sees Dad sitting next to her, head bowed. When she tries to make a noise, Dad’s head shoots up. 

  
“Oh, baby-“ Dad’s voice is scratchy. He moves to the edge of her bed and takes one of her hands in his.

Yue tries to speak, but can’t even move, can’t form the words-

“Yue, are you alright? Should I get Yugoda?” Dad turns towards the servant stationed by the door.

“Dad.” It hurts. It hurts, so bad, to even form the single syllable. Dad immediately turns back towards her. His face blurs above her, and Yue tries to focus, tries to take a deep breath, and finds her lungs constricted. A familiar panic begins to tinge her consciousness, and Yue shuts her eyes shut, and counts _one, two, three_ , like Yugoda taught her, before she forces her eyes back open. “I’m alive?”

“Yeah, sweetheart.” Dad squeezes her hand. “You’re alive.”

“I thought…I’d die.” Yue manages to get out. She takes a shallow breath, eyes rolling up to her ceiling.

Something deep and painful passes over Dad’s face, and Yue is too exhausted to figure out why.

“I am so, so sorry that it ever came to that. It’s my job to protect you, you never should have-“

“I’m not sorry.” Yue interrupts, because Dad is still here, and if Dad is still here, then the tribe must have driven off the attack, and her sacrifice wasn’t in vain, and how could she regret that?

Dad’s head drops. Yue’s vision swims again, the stars on her ceiling blurring, the silver constellations Mom painted for her before she was born blurring over each other.

If Dad survived, then who else did, too? Did the Avatar, did Sokka’s sister?

Did Sokka?

“Where’s Sokka?”

Dad looks up. 

“He’s around.” His tone is cool. “Helping with recovery. He’s departing with the Avatar in a few days.”

“Oh.”

Something like relief floods her head, even while a stab of hurt pains her stomach.

He was alright, but he hadn’t come-

There’s a loud commotion outside her door. Dad stands, eyes narrowed, before the door bursts open.

It’s Sokka.

He stares at her with wide, wild eyes, one fist out as though he’s prepared for a fight. A guard rushes in behind him, and Dad holds a hand out to stop him.

“Chief Arnook, sir, I’m sorry, I- no one would tell me how she was, it's been weeks, I just needed to-“

“So you barge into my daughter’s private quarters, yet again?” Dad’s hands tighten into fists, and Yue can barely move from her pillows, but she’s not about to let this happen-

“Dad.”

Her voice is weak, but Dad freezes as though she’s yelled at him.

“Please. I want to see him.”

Sokka’s shoulders drop, and Dad backs away, running a hand through his hair.

“Very well. For a few minutes.” Dad allows. “I will be right outside.”

If Yue had the strength, she would have rolled her eyes.

Sokka drops down by her bedside, his hands moving from his thighs to his face, to his tunic. Yue concentrates and manages to drop her hand on top of his. They’re as rough as she remembers. Calloused, tanned. Warm. Sokka startles, then turns his hand over so that their palms are touching and interlocks his fingers with hers.

“I’m so sorry,” he whispers.

“Sorry?” Yue echoes.

“I was meant to protect you, and I- “

“Sokka. It wasn’t your fault.” Yue shuts her eyes, can’t bear to see the devastated expression that creeps over Sokka’s face.

“-your father trusted me, and- what?”

“It wasn’t your fault.” Yue repeats. She takes another shallow breath and rearranges her fingers, one at a time, focusing on the rough skin on Sokka’s palm, the freckles on his wrist. “I made a decision. I was prepared to die.”

Sokka drops his head by her arm, and he seems to be trying hard to hide that his shoulders are trembling. Yue squeezes his hand, one, two, three times, and Sokka sniffles and pulls his head back up. Yue lifts a shaky hand to his face and wipes off one of the tears that’s escaping down his cheek. Sokka clasps his hand over hers.

“I’m really glad you didn’t,” Sokka whispers, pressing her knuckles to his mouth.

Yue smiles weakly at him and wonders if she feels the same.

* * *

“You gave up your spirit to the moon,” Yugoda says briskly as she lowers Yue back into the healing bath. “I couldn’t tell you why or _how_ you survived, Princess, but you’re very weak.” 

Yugoda’s hands begin to glow, and a numbing warmth spreads throughout the water, and Yue feels the ever-present aching pain begin to leach from her bones. 

”Is- is the tribe alright?” Yue asks. She had asked Dad last night, but Dad had given her some non-answers, told her to focus on healing.

“Some casualties.” Yugoda’s voice tightens. “They managed to break into one of the smaller clinics in the inner wall. The women tried to defend themselves, but…” 

“Oh.” Yue stares up at the white ceiling. “How-how many?” 

“At least twenty. Some children.” Yugoda says. 

“I’m sorry.” Yue whispers, as the numbness spreads to her head, and her vision grows blurry. “I should have- I should have done more-” 

Yugoda says something to her, but Yue is too gone to hear it. 

* * *

“Why do you have to go?”

Sokka looks down. Yue knows it was a dumb question, know that the young Avatar has two more elements to master, knows that there is an entire war outside their walls that’s ravaged the world, but somehow, she still can’t stop herself.

“We have to get to the Earth Kingdom,” Sokka says softly. “I’m sorry, Yue. I wish you could come, but-“

Yue still can’t leave her bed. Even simply sitting as she is, propped up with blankets and pillows and every fur Dad could find, is making exhaustion pull at her bones, her eyelids.

“Yeah. You can’t wait for me,” she says quietly. “Besides, my father would never-“

“It’s your life, not your father’s,” Sokka interrupts, voice hard. The hand gripping hers tightens, and Sokka’s head dips. Yue can see the edges of his cheeks flushing. “Sorry. I shouldn’t have said that. That was disrespectful.”

“No. No, you’re right. It’s just-“ Yue lifts one arm as high as she can, and holds back a derisive snort when it falls limply back onto her bedding within seconds. “I’m useless.”

“Don’t say that. Of course you’re not- you’re just recovering, Yue.”

“There’s no guarantee I’ll get completely better,” Yue says bluntly and feels a stab of guilt when Sokka flinches.

“You will. I know you will,” Sokka says fiercely and squeezes her hand. “I just- I wish I didn’t have to leave you.”

“Me too,” Yue admits. Her throat feels oddly tight, and she looks away.

“Hey.” Sokka says softly. He nudges her arm. When Yue looks back, Sokka is unclasping his bone choker. He holds it out to her.

“Take it, please,” Sokka says. “to remember me.”

“Sokka, I could never forget you-“

“Yue.” Sokka’s voice is thin, and there’s an awful tinge of desperation on the edges that makes Yue’s heart ache. “Please.”

Yue stares at him. At the deep bags under his bright eyes, the freckles across the bridge of his nose, the dark hair that’s escaping from his wolf’s tail.

“Will you put it on me?” she manages to ask, and Sokka gives her a small smile. He helps her lean forward, and his hands are warm as he shifts her loose hair off her neck. He takes off Hahn’s engagement necklace, tosses it on the bed next to her, and clasps the choker around her neck. 

Yue reaches up and feels the bone, rough beneath her fingertips. Sokka is looking at her as though he’s trying to memorize her, and there’s something incredibly heavy behind his eyes that's terribly hard to take in for more than a few seconds at a time.

“It looks- it looks good on you,” he says. His voice cracks in the middle, and along with it, Yue’s heart.

“Sokka,” she says, one hand out. “Come here.”

Sokka crashes into her, head buried into her shoulder, and Yue holds him as tight as her arms will allow. She takes his face with both hands and kisses his forehead, his nose, his lips, and presses his head to hers.

“I’ll see you again,” Yue whispers with a confidence she does not feel and hopes that Sokka can’t tell the difference. “Just stay safe till then.” 

* * *

Sokka departs the next day with the Avatar. Yue stares out her window at the port and watches the ships leave for the South Pole, a bison on the deck, and three figures next to it. 

Maybe she’s making it up, but she swears she sees one of the figures turn and look at her, too. 

* * *

Dad doesn’t let her out of bed for weeks. That’s fine with her, really. What is there to see, what is there to do? Yue is perfectly content to curl up in her furs and stare at the wall until Yugoda drags her to the Healing Hut, or forces food into her mouth. 

At night, the moon shines bright and whole, and Yue can hear the distant shouts of the waterbenders as they spar under her light. Yue stares up at it, hanging in the black-blue of the night sky, and wonders if the waterbenders feel that it’s mocking them, too. 

* * *

“Princess Yue, you’re not eating much.” Yugoda raises an eyebrow. Yue shrugs and shoves away the bowl of stew Yugoda had a servant fetch for her when she had appeared in Yue’s room and found out she hadn’t eaten all day. 

“Not hungry,” Yue mumbles. 

“Don’t you want to get your strength up?” 

Yue doesn’t answer. 

“Princess Yue, you have duties-” 

“It doesn’t _matter._ Can’t you see? It doesn’t matter, Yugoda. They can wait,” Yue snaps, and hears Yugoda take in a sharp breath. 

“Princess,” Yugoda says. She takes the tray off of her bed. “You survived. But you must want to get stronger in order to recover.” 

“There’s nothing to recover for.” 

“Yue, come-” 

“I’d like to rest, now,” Yue says, staring up at the ceiling. She feels Yugoda’s eyes on her, but she doesn’t comment, and a minute later, the candles in her room are blown out and the door shut. 

Yue pulls her blankets tighter around her shoulders, shuts her eyes, and wonders if the expansive dark mass in her stomach will ever stop making her feel ill. 

* * *

Cool water laps over her forehead, her stomach, her feet. 

When Yue opens her eyes, she finds not the white ceiling of the healing hut, but a tar-black sky littered with unfamiliar constellations. 

“Ah, I’ve been expecting you.” A low, distinctive voice says from her right- smooth, but rough around the edges, like sea glass before it’s been polished by the tumble of the waves. 

Yue immediately sits up, her heart speeding in her chest. Her hair is soaked with salty foam, and it sticks to her bare neck, curls around her arms, as she moves. She’s in the shallows of a wine-dark sea, and the sound of waves crashing over the breakers and pulling in are the only indication that this place extends past the three feet she can see in front of her. 

“You’re awake, aren’t you?” The voice says, and Yue rubs her eyes. A woman is sitting cross-legged at the very edge of the shore, bright robes wet and weighed down with sand. Dark curls tumble down to her waist, and she moves her arms back and forth in a fluid motion. 

“Where- where am I?” Yue asks. The air is too humid to be home, the water too warm.

“That’s up to you, isn’t it?” The woman quirks an eyebrow. 

“What?” 

“Your work is done. That’s what you said, anyways. I thought humans found it impolite to refuse gifts, and yet…” 

Yue stares at the woman. Her eyes are adjusting to the darkness that surrounds her, and she can see now that the woman’s eyes are a piercing blue and heavily-lidded, her lips slightly pursed as she hums, her bare wrists flicking languidly 

“A gift,” Yue repeats. Is this some-sort of medicine-induced dream? She looks down at her hand and flexes, finds five fingers, and shakes her head. 

“Your life, child.” The woman smiles, and Yue starts. 

“No. No, the Great Spirits gave me my-” 

The woman’s smile widens, and Yue falls to her knees in the water. Salty surf splashes into her eyes, and she can’t bring herself to wipe it off. 

“Oh,” she whispers. 

“Thanks for saving me, by the way.” The woman says cheerfully. “But you’re not done.” 

“Not done?” 

“Of course not. You were tasked with restoring balance to your tribe when it was ripped away from them, child. Do you think that the scales have been balanced?” 

“But you- you’ve been returned.” Yue gestures at the sky, and realizes too late that no moon hangs between the patchwork lights of the constellations. 

“That, I have. But your work is not yet completed.” 

“What would you have me do?” Yue asks quietly, bitterly. “I don’t hold the power of the Avatar, nor the authority of my father. I never will.” 

“Power is subjective, and authority is derived.” The woman says, and for a moment, her face is eerily reminiscent of someone Yue thinks she once knew. “The Spirits have given you the push, child. You must understand the pull.” 

Yue has so many more questions to ask, so much more she wants to know, but as she reaches out towards the woman, the waves crashing around her feet begin to recede, and the dark of the sky begins to envelop her. 

She wakes with a gasp, her bedding twisted about her and wet with sweat. Something is pressing on her wind-pipe, and when Yue reaches up, she finds the hard squares of Sokka’s choker pressing into her skin. She darts up, ignoring the dull pain that thuds between her ribs, and flings off her blankets, one hand at the base of her neck. Out of her window, the moon shines, waning into itself, and while Yue wants to plead for answers, she knows, somehow, that the moon will not respond. 

* * *

“Yue?” Dad puts down his cup and stares at her. “What are you doing up?” 

Yue pulls her robe tighter around her. “Yugoda said I should start walking around if I feel up to it,” she lies through her teeth.

Dad raises one eyebrow. 

“Yugoda told me yesterday she wants you to take it easy for at least a few more days.” Dad says. 

“I just wanted to get up. It’s not like I’m leaving the Meeting House or anything.” Yue says, and she can’t stop the note of irritation that appears. 

If Dad notices, he doesn’t say anything. He grunts noncommittally and gestures for her to sit next to him. 

“How is rebuilding going?” Yue asks as she settles herself down, and does _not_ nearly lose her balance as she goes, thank you very much. 

“Fine.” Dad picks up his cup again. “Nothing for you to worry about.”

“I’m not _worried_ , I just want to know.” 

“It’s going fine, Yue. We should have the walls fully reconstructed by the next full moon. Really, just focus on getting better.”

“I can get better and worry about the tribe at the same time.” Yue snaps. She’s a lot less successful at hiding it this time, and Dad turns to look at her. He stares at her, expression confused more than anything else, until he seems to notice her neck, and his face shifts into something decidedly more stony. 

“Where did you get that?” He asks, tone cold. Yue’s hand immediately flies up to Sokka’s necklace. 

“Sokka gave it to me.” She swallows thickly when Dad’s face hardens even further. “Be-before he left.” 

“Where’s your engagement necklace?” Dad turns away. 

“In my room.” 

“And you’re not wearing it because…?” 

“I-I-” Yue takes a deep, deep breath, as much as her lungs will allow. “Dad, what would you say if I said I didn’t want to marry Hahn?” 

Dad’s silent. His shoulders stiffen. He stares down into his cup as though the dark tea within it will grant him answers. 

“Dad?” Yue forces herself to repeat, when the silence stretches on, and her heart begins to pound in her ears. “Dad, are you-” 

“I would say that you _used_ to know your duty and your place.” Dad slams the cup on the table. The tea sloshes out, and Yue jumps back. 

“I just, I don’t know if I want to-” 

“ _Want?_ ” Dad demands. He stands up and paces away from her, and then spins on his heel. “Absolutely _nothing_ about our positions is about _want_ , Yue. We are here to serve our people, and _nothing_ else.”

“But you won’t even let me do that!” Yue scrambles up. Her vision grays out around the edges, and she digs her nails into her palms. “I can do more, Dad.”

“What you are meant to do, is your _duty,_ Yue.” Dad growls. “You are to return to your room, take that necklace off, and put your engagement necklace back on.”

“But-” 

“ _Now!_ ” 

Dad points towards her bedroom, his eyes fixed above her. Yue bites back a sob as she passes him.

* * *

She doesn’t see him for weeks. Dad even stops coming to dinner, which they usually have together at least every few nights. Yue takes to eating by herself, going to bed by herself, and waking by herself, the solitude punctuated only by Yugoda. When she asks where he is, the servants seem to have no answer, and Yugoda only looks away, shaking her head. 

On the second week of this happening, Yue flags down his second in the Meeting House hallways. Nanuk just shrugs and averts his eyes. 

“He’s very busy, Princess. I’m sure he’ll have more time soon.” 

Nanuk hurries down the hallway towards the Council rooms, and Yue watches him go, slumping against the wall. 

Maybe she should just stay in her room. 

* * *

“Your father wants you at the council meeting,” Yugoda says, hauling back her blankets. Yue doesn’t bother opening her eyes to blindly pull them back over her head. “Come, Princess. Up, up.” 

“Why?” It exits her mouth as a whine and Yue flushes a little, though she knows Yugoda can’t see her. To be a princess is to be gracious, and Yue can’t think of anything less gracious than _complaining_ like a child. 

“Yue.” Yugoda says gently, and Yue shoves off her blanket. Yugoda is sitting on the edge of her bed, her face soft, brows furrowed with concern. “What are you thinking, child?”

“Yugoda, I-” Yue cuts off and throws an arm over her eyes. “Why does it even matter? I have to go to this meeting so that I may sit at his right hand and say nothing, do nothing, be nothing?” 

“Do you?” Yugoda raises an eyebrow. “I wasn’t aware that sacrificing your spirit had taken your voice.” 

“Did I ever have one to begin with?”

“That’s up to you.” Yugoda says neutrally. “But the tides are not stagnant, and the ocean is not a silent beast. Do what you may, Princess, but you are not powerless. Do not insult the Great Spirits like that.” 

Yue feels the smooth stone of Hahn's necklace, tight around her neck. Eyes Sokka's necklace on the table. Turns back to Yugoda. 

“Can you ask one of the servants to get my ceremonial robes?” she asks. 

Yugoda smiles, her eyes sharp. “Right away, Princess.” 

* * *

“And when the Fire Nation breached our great walls, the Princess’ betrothed bravely volunteered to lead the mission that would-” 

The Crier’s voice sounds grating and sharp in her ears, and Dad’s right next to her, but Yue is still desperately tempted to bury her head in her amauti and remain there until the Speaking has stopped assaulting her ears. 

But this is court. And in court, the Speaking never stops.

“The Fire Nation violated our most sacred place, and the Princess, blessed as she was by Tui-” 

Yue sets her jaw and looks straight forward, as the words bang against her skull, one by one by one, leaving irreparable dents in the bone. 

“-and when the Spirit had been desecrated and its _anirniq_ burned away, the Princess placed her hands on the mortal form that had held the Spirit-” 

Hahn is staring at her, mouth open, as the Crier switches intonation, hands held out and above his head. Yue stares back. Hahn flushes and looks away. 

“-gave of herself to restore life to the Spirit, and to return Tui to Her place in the sky. The Princess was-” 

“Make a decision.” 

A voice rings out, strong, proud, true, and Yue isn’t sure why everyone’s eyes are on her, why the Crier’s fallen silent, his jaw dropped, until she realizes that it came from her mouth.

“Yue,” Dad says, his tone low and warning, but something hot is coursing through her veins, melting the ice, and she’s sure that if she stops now, she won’t ever begin again. 

  
“You keep Speaking of me as if I am gone, as if I passed to the Spirit world that night.” She stands, looking at the Crier, who seems to have no answer for her accusations. “But I’m not dead, am I? Nor am I spirit or ghost. So, decide.” 

“Princess Yue.” Dad growls. “You are _not_ to Speak in-” 

_“Decide."_ Yue interrupts. She feels Dad’s burning gaze on the back of her head, and turns to meet his glare. “Either decide I am gone, and do not speak ill of the dead, or acknowledge that I am alive, flesh and blood, in front of you, and acknowledge _me_.” 

“Princess Yue!” Dad slams a fist on the ground. 

“NO!” She screams, her hands tightening.

A hush falls heavy and unnatural on the chamber, and every muscle in her body is tense, screaming at her to _run, run, run,_ but a small voice in the back of her head is telling her to _stay, speak, live._

“Since I was a child, I have been treated as though I am merely decoration, an object, a prize to be won. The Great Spirits clearly took me for more, and who are you, who are _any of you_ , to decide that your judgement trumps the Spirits’? I am _done_. So I’m going to Speak-” 

She whirls around and finds Hahn again, who has a vaguely-outraged look on his face, as though he knows Yue shouldn’t be doing what she is, but also can’t care enough to do something about it. She meets his dull blue eyes as she rips his engagement necklace off, the clasp breaking as she pulls, and throws it at his feet. A ripple of gasps goes throughout the crowd, but Yue barely hears them.

“And you-” She turns to the crowd, to the council of Elders sitting behind her father, to Yugoda, standing in the women’s section with a barely-concealed smile on her face. “All of you are going to Listen.” 

One of Dad’s advisors- Iknik, his name is, Yue _never_ liked him- scrambles to his feet, face red with rage. 

“Are we _really_ going to allow this child, this _girl_ , to disrespect our customs like this?” 

“This _girl_ is the only reason you’re still able to sit on your position, Councilman, instead of being shackled in the brig of a Fire Nation ship,” Yue growls back, every word out of her mouth an anomaly. 

  
Dad holds up a hand to silence Iknik, who seems about to combust. When he meets Yue’s eyes, his own are stony with anger. 

“If not for the Great Spirits,” Dad’s voice sounds out, loud and cold. “None of us would be sitting here at all. If the Spirits are guiding my daughter to Speak, as they guided her hand to restore Tui to Her rightful place, then we will Listen.” 

Another murmur goes through the room. 

Yue shuts her eyes, feels Sokka’s necklace in her pocket, and throws them open again. 

  
“When I gave back Tui’s life-force, I knew that I had been blessed with the task of protecting my people, and restoring balance to our tribe. But I did not realize until very recently that our troubles of imbalance did not begin when the Fire Nation landed on our shores, nor when Tui’s _anirniq_ was made ash. 

“They began when we refused to allow our waterbenders the full extent of their education, and every one of our citizens the full extent of their voice. Our tribe was unbalanced that night, but it has been for a long time. And thus,” Yue turns back to her father, and finds that his stare while icy, is not destructive, as she expected it would be. 

“My work is not yet done.” 

**Author's Note:**

> my tumblr is ta1k-less and stanning yue hours are 24/7


End file.
